View synonyms for sucker-punch

sucker-punch

[ suhk-er-puhnch ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

, Slang.

to strike (someone) with an unexpected blow.

sucker punch

noun

a sudden surprise punch, esp from behind
a sudden unexpected defeat or setback

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Other Words From

sucker punch noun

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Idioms and Phrases

An unexpected blow, as in They felt that suddenly raising the interest rate was a sucker punch to the administration . This expression comes from boxing, where it is used for a punch delivered unexpectedly; boxing great Jack Dempsey wrote, “The right lead [for a right-handed boxer] is called a sucker punch.” [ Slang ; mid-1900s]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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